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Summary

A circular well, a section of walling, and a pit containing mid to late 18th century pottery, were exposed during groundworks to the rear of 6 Litchdon Street.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WELL (XVII to XIX - 1700 AD to 1900 AD)
• PIT (XVIII - 1701 AD to 1800 AD)
• WALL (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

Gillard, M., 2009, Archaeological Watching Brief of Groundworks for the Construction of an Extension to the Rear of 6 Litchdon Street, Barnstaple (Report - Watching Brief). SDV342727.

Circular well (113) exposed during groundworks to the rear of 6 Litchdon Street in Barnstaple in 2008. The well had a diameter of 1.55 metres and was lined with roughly coursed stone. It had been backfilled in the 19th century or later. A pit (111) containing mid to late 18th century pottery was also exposed. In the north east corner of the yard was a 2.15 metre section of walling (106) with a 0.8 metre return and consisting of 3-4 courses of worked shale with occasional brick. This had probably been built in the 19th century as a garden retaining wall.
A further area of the garden was reduced in level and a breach made in the garden wall to allow access to the site. This area comprised several thick layers of probable garden soils with some thin intermittent layers suggestive of dumped material associated with pottery production. Ceramic evidence suggests that this dumping occurred in the mid 16th century and the presence of wasters and kiln furnitures indicates that pottery production was taking place in the vicinity.
Map object based on this source.

Ordnance Survey, 2009, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV341569.

Map object based on this source.

Allan, J., 2010, Sixteenth-Century Pottery Wasters from No. 6 Lichdon Street, Barnstaple (Report - non-specific). SDV352184.

Wasters from an early 16th century pottery kiln were recovered during a watching brief on groundworks for the construction of an extension to the rear of 6 Lichdon Street in 2008. More than 7kg pottery was recovered of which 5.8kg consists largely of kiln waste and kiln furniture. Various features show that the assemblage is earlier in date than the numerous groups of 17th century kiln waste now known from Barnstaple. The products comprise jugs in the medieval tradition, alongside cups, globular jars and bowls with none of the specialised types of ceramic tableware that came into use in the late 16th and 17th centuries. The entire collection appears to date to circa 1500-1550. It is considered important for two main reasons. Firstly it provides the earliest firm evidence for pottery production in Litchdon Street. Secondly, it provides the only sample of 16th century potters' waste from any of the North Devon kiln sites.

Southwest Archaeology, 2013, Greater Barnstaple Area Project Database, Mapping Area 2003 (Un-published). SDV351581.

Pink, F., 2014, Devon Extensive Urban Survey Project. Rapid Assessment of Archaeological Interventions, 1 (Report - non-specific). SDV357343.

Allan, J. + Griffiths, N. + Mills, A., 2020, Some Recent Finds of North Devon Pottery, 230; Appendix 2; Figs 13-14 (Article in Serial). SDV364780.

About 7kg of pottery was recovered from a South-West Archaeology watching brief in 2008. The material consists mainly or entirely of kiln waste and kiln furniture, with may blistered sherds, burnt edges, frazzled glaze etc. The kiln furniture includes burnt slates with glaze dribbles and one coarseware base firmly stuck to the cup base.
The entire collection is datable to circa 1500-50. When discovered, the find provided the earliest firm evidence for pottery production in Litchdon Street, and it was the only sample of 16th0century potters’ waste from any of the North Devon kiln sites. It was, however, overshadowed by the discovery of more than 50.000 sherds of 16th-century kiln waste at the nearby Exeter Inn site.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds

• FDV5441 - POT (XV to XVI - 1500 AD to 1550 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV4535 - Watching Brief at 6 Litchdon Street, Barnstaple

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